Nat Geo Assignment: The Trip That Changed My Life

See the National Geographic photo assignments that Kristian Bertel has participated in – Read the story about his photographs here…

Kristian Bertel has contributed to the National Geographic Your Shot community with an assignment called ‘The Trip That Changed My Life‘. For this assignment curated by George Stone, Editor in Chief, National Geographic Traveler and Anne Farrar, Director of Photography, National Geographic Traveler and Jeff Heimsath, Associate Photo Editor, National Geographic Travel and Adventure want to know about the trip that changed our life. And they want to share that inspiration with the world by putting your best travel picture on the cover of National Geographic Traveler. Maybe it was a year studying abroad, a summer road trip, or simply a quick jaunt to the next town over. Is there a place we cannot stop talking or dreaming about or better yet, are there travel photos we took that make us feel inspired all over again.

As the editors are saying: ”Travel has the power to change our thinking, inspire our imaginations, and experience unforgettable moments. Put simply, travel can change your life. We’re looking for images that take our breath away, whether they be of waterfalls, mountains, heritage sites, landmarks, road trips, or adventures”, they say.

Guidelines for the travel photographs
As you look through your travel photos, or set out to take new ones, here are some things to think about for instance that the very best travel magazine cover photos make readers wish they were in the picture. Our photograph should demonstrate a strong sense of place. The location we have photographed does not have to be immediately recognizable, but the scene should not feel like a generic landscape. Magazine covers require a photo with vertical orientation. We can submit horizontal images, but we will have to crop them to fit. Additionally, our National Geographic Traveler logo will appear across the top, so too-busy backgrounds can make the type hard to read.

The photograph will ideally have been taken within the last five years. Places change quickly and the image should reflect the destination as it is today. As always, captions are important. In addition to naming the location, please include details about why and how this trip changed your life. It’s a wide and wonderful world out there, and Nat Geo cannot wait to be amazed and inspired by our pictures of it.

About the submitted photograph
India is indeed a land of a thousand facets and a trip to this land between the Himalayas and the Indian Ocean is an absolute experience. There are few countries like India – the second most populous country in the world – that are so diverse. The variety of languages, religions, food and culture seems inexhaustible. All the more reason to get to know India with our own senses.

As in this photo of the Taj Mahal Mosque in Agra, the interiors host an elegantly designed floor that is made up of a material that appears to be velvet red in shade and is in the shape of clearly defined prayer mats, 569 prayer mats in total. The interiors of the mosque are inscribed with delicate calligraphy citing the name Allah and quotations from scriptures. However, the main feature of the mosque that distinguishes it from the opposite structure of the guest house is the presence of Mihrab and Minbar. The Mihrab is an indented enclosure that indicates the direction of Mecca and the direction which the Muslims face to perform their prayers or salat. The place from where the priest delivers a speech is known as Minbar and is always positioned to the right hand side of the Mihrab and consists of three steps to a flat platform.

India is colorful and shines in exciting and exotic butterfly colors. There is something to see everywhere. Whether mesala chai, spiced tea with milk or streets that smell of cardamom and cinnamon. ”- So we should send them pictures of the places we have been that re-energized us and changed our outlook on the world”, the photographer Kristian Bertel says.